It was Saturday afternoon that I met Mr William Ian Quayle, my secondary English Teacher and form teacher. That seemed like an awful long time ago, having graduated from that 4A class in 1996.However Mr Quayle has not aged a day since I've last seen him. In fact, he seems to be growing younger by the day! Thus, it is very unsettling when I myself have aged and hve people commenting on how old I look beyond my years. He has lost a his belly, shaved his beard, and could easily pass off as a middle aged Brit lad trodding the streets of manchester.


Mr Quayle is the epitome of fun and wit. He drops us down on routine push ups with his whistle and makes good fun out of our essays about killer curry puffs and voluptous women in red. He has also managed to rouse a great deal of interest in otherwise monotonous minds to the world of English literature and good old Ray Bradbury Sci-Fi novels. Recall a time when our roof leaked during the rain and he had to gather the whole class into a cluster huddling in a corner while the rain collected a mini reservoir in the middle of that space. Also there was a time our roof flew off.


Fast forward to present where our class became a collection of professionals, bankers, doctors, dentists, High rankimg army officers, teachers and brokers. Some are still unemployed of course.And some pretend to be. Anyway, the present is a far cry from the fun days of yesteryears. People are too busy to meet and catch up with old friends, and they form islands from each other.


Mr Quayle however, has cunningly escaped all that and kept himself frozen in those years. He is still funny, full of witty jokes and comments, and very intelligent in a warm way. He is one person that I truly can see is happy with where he is and fully enjoying the moment. Perhaps, that state is what we are all searching for? Now, I am not suggesting that everyone should pursue teaching careers. But Mr Quayle seems to have found a position that fits him snuggly, and just something about him tells others that he is chirpy and happy. Truly a great individual, glad to have bumped into him today.

Today as I walked ROCKY along the beach I noticed that most other dogs were walked by their owners, not owner. The world is plagued by images of having to be seen as couples, to such an extent that being seen alone with your puppy seems like a dangerous abomination. Well, I don't care....












Being single is an art. It is the art of not exposing your vulerability to people, to give ambigious answers when questions thrown on whether you are seeing anyone apart from your dog.(Metaphorically speaking, I know that a dog is not a person) But then again, so many issues are liberated, for example, not having to tell anyone you are enjoying a satrical movie with very enjoyable company at 3 AM in the morning, not having to rush home to cook hopelessly unappreciated dinners and lunches for people who don't even bother to do their laundry.Walking off on a weekend night to do your own stuff, read your book, or spend the night trashing teenagers at neighbourhood arcade centres, will no longer be misunderstood as you stealing time off to see other girls.



The advantages are numerous. One gets to absolutely focus on his or her interests without being distracted with thoughts like: will she get pregnant? Do I have enough to finance that pathetic unit of HDB built to order? Is she cheating on me like my previous ex?So on and so forth. Such questions are completely eliminated. No more worries too about her ridiculous parents you have not met for the entire duration of your relationship.There will also be no communication problems since there is no communication.On the February of every year, while most guys scramble and roll under their beds in fear of another horrendous expenditure nightmare, or new ideas for the same bloody occassion every year like a new company directive, you are happily chilling out with your friends watching soccer.Also, there will be no ten year plan to start a family and have children; and you don't have to pretend to like children altogether. You'd be bumming around till 40 and at the same time not comprimising in having an unwavering consistency in having amazing sex since the partners are all different.


Or, in an IDEAL situation, out of sheer hard work and a bit of luck, your career rockets and suddenly you have tons of money and nowhere to spend since you are single. Imagine. Bose HiFi. That condo you have been eyeing. A fashionably affordable EvO9. A fully airconditioned playpen for all your pets. Your own art gallery. You suddenly have become the object of conversation among your withering married friends, plagued by the energy black holes that come in the form of little children. You grow younger by the day due to your hard work at the gym, 3 times a week.What happens next?


Truth is, being single is not always by choice. The people we meet, the people we are with or have left, they are not always suitable.Fate plays a cruel hand in these situations...how does all the success in the world, all the riches in the world compare with a heart warming conversation with your loved one, a gentle kiss, a sweet reminiscence of her perfume in the air?Being single also means you spend your whole time trying to forget these things. The result is a solitary existence, neither happy nor sad, living in the present, with a past that you try to forget and a future you are trying not to consider....

The End Of The World is Approaching/
Desmond has quit, Djeanny next, and BOSS may transfer. Sim the FSC is going to C Bank. All hell
is breaking lose next month.Effectively if you were to enter the banking hall this is what you'd see:> A SHAOLIN MONASTARY
consisting of 3 guys...ARGH>>>

I have to re-strategize. Many factors are not playing to advantage, for example, the educated
pussies of Shenton Way are really not taking the bait for Insurance or any financial advise.


To worsen that, they are rude and demanding without giving any opportunity for sales...This situation I forsee will prevail for at least to the end of the year lest some new and prettty staff are employed.

Often I have wondered how people could come to work everyday in the morning and smile when you know you have to face a nasty crowd, and chatting with my pretty colleague, Claris, I've found that most of them have developed a new sense of selective hearing that actively converts yapping disgusting customer voices to sweet music. That's why they keep smiling. Someday , I'd gotta learn that skill too.Career-wise, I am suddenly unsure if being a Branch Manager is that attractive since someone I am in full respect of is transferring out of that position...Maybe I will have to re-org and aim towards Affluent Banking and on the private banking.However that being said the role is still not significant and still might not be quite the thing that hits the nail.

What do we want in life? To be happy? What are the means and ways to that ends? These are the questions that life will not allow me to ponder on in days to come, given the horrendous shortage in manpower.This has become something of a joke, so that I no longer find it very stressful to actually be in such a situation.

In bare-bottomed truth, most people are just seeking for higher pay, higher commissions, less work,and more personal time. There, I've said it. This is like the gospel biblical truth of the humanity since the dawn of civilisation.How does anyone rise above this? I think, everything has a price, just like in Alchemy, being unwilling to sacrifice or risk anything yields you just that----nothing.What is the price of what we want? I think I have paid the price many times, and will continue doing so till I achieve my goals or I shall die trying. That is the strength of my spirit.

Therefore, the NEW rationalisation is that, having less RMs, more business will be generated with less catchment dilute that. Probable that sales will increase, and a managerial vacuum gives excellent opportunity to assist the Service mgr to find out about the operational role of a Branch Manager.Having zero distractions, th odds of success in the following 3 months are, in fact, tremendous.

Does anyone really fall into any single catergory of character typology???


At least this is what a book I'm working on, seeks to generalize. Motivation is something that is probably innate to me, but I always seem to have difficulty bringing it to others. This is important considering I'm taking a shot at leadership roles.
Well, truth is , Eli and Lyn are leaving the bank and industry and they have both tendered together at around the same time... I'm just barely into my 2nd month into work, so this is slightly depressing.

Combine this with the fact that another gal stationed at the branch, Claire, who chose Rocky with me, is also leaving, and you get an all time high.


The impressive thing was how my BOSS handled it. I really hand it to him, and guess I've many years of catching up in terms of managing people as well as my own emotions at work.Unfazed by both tenders, of which I'd perceive to be a substantial loss in revenue,BOSS simply said:" When you employ so many, it is only natural that some will stay and some will leave." Wa. I'm really seriously impressed as I thought he'd be at least a little affected like us.At the end of the day, I think it takes great strength and impartiality to lead. If BOSS gets affected imagine how the rest will deal with it.


I'm just into my second month into the bank and barely scraping past claiming my commisions last month, though with a quarter millions' worth of sales. Apparently it is still a puny small figure in comparison to most. Pacing myself at a 20 month-long run, this month is a good start at 260k in first week secured. This month I will shoot for the million mark.

That having said, look at where the team is at now: I'm new, Isaac's new, Desmond's strength is in loans. And the others do not contribute as a team. Isaac himself is a hell of a sales person, and he helped me a ton along the way.Completely unselfish, Isaac has no weaknesses. I think I can help to motivate him in the direction of insurance sales.Des however is still, as the books will define, in type 3 zone. He is patient with ridiculous people, and will go to great lengths to appease hostile, vile, saliva spitting customers. That's something I've consistently failed to accomplish. However, on occasions where the moment of attack is eminent, Des almost always pulls back. I do not know whether it is his virtue or misgiving , but I do know this hesitation will certainly cost him his position one day. I'd very much like to help motivate him and persuade him to stay, though I'm not confident.Harold i this supremely neutral and selfish character, whom we never get to talk to whenever help is needed. He does his job well, expects help from noone, and therefore helps noone. He is not a leader. With Eli gone, he is the next oldest senior and yet I'd not expect much from him. D'jeanny is someone noone talks to, simply because she talks too much. Not a team player.


This leads me to the inevitable conclusion that the team now is marginalised to 2 or 3 people, which is fine as long as I figure out the mechanics. It would be a very heavy blow if Des really leaves as noone is familiar with his expertise.Sales figures wise, I'd commit twice my usual to make up for the loss.I reckon Isaac has to do the same...How else are we seeing 4 Mill figures per month????

Has been a while since I wrote, has been a while since anything was felt. Caught in a flurry of ideals, it is easy to numb ourselves to the point of oblivion, convincing our souls in a daily drone of voices that: no we do not need love, no we do not require a personal life; it is just not a pre-requisite of corporate life and ambition.

And slowly we lull ourselves to forget, the very essence that brought us to life, the spring of our souls. Love is a many splendoured thing, but being a thing of past, it is reduced to a petty form of nostalgia. What did we do correct ? What did we do wrong? Nobody could answer these questions save ourselves.

I have loved and lost many times over. Sometimes it is to that extent of being painful to remember. In time I've developed a unique form of selective amnesia, designed to allow me access to the form and not the substance of days gone past. This is probably present in not some of us, but all of us.

Fortunately, fate deals its cards in its own delight. Well, sometimes you are dealt a lucky hand and suddenly, you remember. The sweetness that flows into your veins. The passion that once filled your soul. The heartbeat that skipped once or twice...

" They found solace,
in the moment that a sudden passion joined them in meeting.

Such is a certainty,
That renders the world beautiful.

And yet within,
The uncertainty beckons the heart,
To greater depths of beauty."
--Wislawa Szymborska,
Love at First Sight.
.


"How can I keep my soul in me,
so that it doesn't touch your soul?
How can I raise it high enough,
past you, to other things?
I would like to shelter it,
among remote lost objects,
in some dark and silent place
that doesn't resonate when your depths resound.
Yet everything that touches us,
me and you,takes us together like a violin's bow,
which draws one voice out of two separate strings.
Upon what instrument are we two spanned?
And what musician holds us in his hand?"
- Rainer Maria Rilke ,Sweetest Song